This week we're focusing on the time we have left this groups season and how to make sure we're ready.

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Announcements:

Family Dedication

On Mother’s Day we will be celebrating Family Dedication together, which is your chance, as parents, to dedication your preschooler.

If you’re interested in being a part of that celebration, stop by the Kids Ministry Guest Services and pick up and application, and we’ll also be there to answer any questions you might have about Family Dedication.

Sermon Title: Unwind, Part 1: Do Not Be Anxious

Main Texts: Matthew 6:25-34

Topics:

Jesus here commands us to “not be anxious” about our lives. In fact he commands it three times. Perhaps we too willingly accept the idea that anxiety and stress has to be a part of our lives. But here, Jesus challenges that. He says, do not be anxious for anything.

We often accept anxiety as unavoidable. So, what we do is just try to escape our anxiety. We get lost in a hobby. We go get a massage. We go on a vacation. We turn on the television. But with each of those activities and unlimited others, we are not actually addressing the situation, just avoiding it for a while to get a break. It is merely escape.

But it is not really escaping the stress. It’s hiding from it. Most of the time the stress is simply lurking at the edges of our consciousness waiting for an opportunity to consume our thoughts again. And even if we are momentarily successful in avoiding our stress for a little while, it is simply there waiting for us when we are done.

The world’s answer to stress is hide. They may say, “I need to UNWIND.” But the reality is none of the stress is untangled or dismantled, just avoided.

But Jesus challenges the premise that stress is an expected part of life. He tells us not to be anxious. And then He effectively breaks apart why we are stressed, what we are stressed about, and how to untangle it all.

He explains that stress is fundamentally a faith problem. He says that stress is for unbelievers. We know Who is in control. It’s a basic question: do we trust Him or not?

When we are anxious, we shouldn’t just avoid reality. We need to stop and recalibrate our thinking.

Key Questions:

HIGH/LOW: What was the high point of your week and the low point?

ICEBREAKER: What percentage of people in South Florida do you think would say they are stressed?

READ: Matthew 6:25-34

What jumps out of this passage to you the most?

How do you think this passage flows out of the previous passage?

What do you think are some unproductive things people do to try to escape their anxiety?

How does Jesus dismantle stress in this passage?

When we have stress what are we not having faith in?

What types of things stresses you out the most?

Have you ever been in the midst of a stressful season, but you found peace in God? What happened?

What are some good habits that productively recalibrate our thinking to have faith in God during stressful seasons?

What is one thing that is stressing you out right now, that we can pray for?